My name is Robert Gibson, and I live in Savaneta, Aruba overlooking the waters and reef of Commandeur's Bay. I was born and raised on the shores of Narragansett Bay in Barrington, Rhode Island. I attended Mitchell College, The University of Rhode Island, The Ohio State University, and Rhode Island College, where I completed majors in Public Administration, Finance, History, and Secondary Education.
In 1997 I moved to Aruba where I began my international teaching career at the International School of Aruba. After several years at ISA, I moved on to teach at a variety of other secondary and post-secondary schools. In addition to the many years of teaching at ISA, I have also taught at The Aruba Hotel School, Ibero-American School, and Xavier University of Medicine. In 2011 I returned to teach at ISA, and the following year moved to Sint Maarten to begin my tenure as Headmaster of Learning Unlimited Preparatory School of Sint Maarten. LUPS is a private American international school that holds dual accreditation with SAIS & AdvancED. With a student body of over 350 students (Pre-school - Grade 12), LUPS has earned a reputation as the best private preparatory school in the Northeast Caribbean. LUPS offers numerous in- house Advanced Placement courses and their graduates have consistently been accepted into the top Universities in the United States, Canada, and Europe. As Headmaster of LUPS, I worked closely with parents, students, and staff, to continuously improve the school's academic offerings, programs, and facilities to further the legacy of excellence that LUPS has earned throughout the years.
In 2017, I returned to Aruba in search of the next phase of my career in education. After speaking with a number of island parents and school directors, I was made aware of the tremendous need for an alternative choice to the existing island schools. There was a pressing demand for an educational program that could offer a private American-International school academic experience that carried an AdvancED accreditiation, just like the International School of Aruba, or Learning Unlimited Preparatory School of Sint Maarten, but at a more affordable annual tuition. There was a need for a college preparatory school program that could serve the needs of four separate categories of students and families: First were those families that were only planning being on island for a short term length of time; Second, were those students who were on a waiting list for ISA or other schools either on island or abroad; Third, were students who had already completed a local secondary education, but were in need of a college preparatory year or semester to better improve their skills before moving on to a post-secondary institution; An finally, families that were permanent residents of Aruba who needed a long- term feasible private American-International educational solution from grades 4 - 12.
In all four scenarios, parents were looking for a talented, highly experienced, and well regarded educator that would provide a safe, nurturing, campus and classroom environment. They also needed a program that would offer: daily supervision, close one-on-one instruction, and a low student to teacher ratio. This program would have to stress academic rigor and excellence, and promote 21st century learning and skills through the use of 21st century technology. It would also have to be designed to promote respect, responsibility, independence, creativity, and global citizenship. With all of these factors in mind, The decision was made to create Commandeur's Bay Academy of Aruba as a feasible solution that would satisfy all of the educational needs and demands on the island.
CBA is a Blended Learning school program that provides parents and students with a combination of the best that traditional and online schools have to offer. Simply stated, Commandeur's Bay Academy of Aruba means that parents no longer have to sacrifice excellence for affordability when it comes to their child's education. Commandeur's Bay Academy of Aruba provides the best in 21st century education. Choose Commandeur's Bay Academy of Aruba as the best solution for your child's educational needs.